Gu Ranran remembered that Yang Hao had the same scent of perfume on him when he went to sign with that internet celebrity DJ that day.
She had never doubted before that Yang Hao always smelled of two or three fixed perfumes. If he had picked them up in a crowded bar, how could they be so consistent?
Gu Ranran felt like someone clinging to a last straw, and that straw was slowly sinking.
She had a suffocating feeling as if she was about to be submerged.
"Ranran, what's wrong? You look unwell," Yang Hao asked, feigning concern.
Gu Ranran shook her head, forcing a smile. "Maybe I have a bit of a fever, but it's nothing. I've already taken medicine."
Seeing that Yang Hao showed no particular concern.
Gu Ranran continued, "Brother Hao, didn't I arrange to meet with Brother Li Yan to discuss the franchise? Brother Li Yan was out of town recently and is returning to Qingcheng tomorrow. He said we could discuss it at Yelan Bar the day after tomorrow."
Yang Hao turned to pour water. "Okay, we'll go together then."
Gu Ranran stared at Yang Hao's back. "Brother Hao, I think Brother Li Yan has much more experience than us. Why don't we just give him all the money and let him open the second Yelan directly? We can just take over."
Yang Hao's action of pouring water paused, and the sound of water stopped.
"That would be too much trouble."
Gu Ranran took a deep breath. "Brother Li Yan has always had a good relationship with my brother, so it wouldn't be troublesome for him.
Brother Hao, you know that Yelan Bar is among the top three in the country in terms of both its facilities and environment. Franchising with Yelan is a foolproof investment, and with Brother Li Yan's help—"
Yang Hao continued to pour water. "Alright, but I'll still need to use the DJs and sound system I've already signed. The rest can be left to him."
Gu Ranran nodded. Seeing Yang Hao bringing the water over, the dejection in her eyes brightened a little.
Yang Hao walked up to her and patted her hair, looking doting.
"I drank a bit too much today, so I'm going to sleep."
Yang Hao took a sip of water and took his cup back to his room.
Gu Ranran stood in the living room for a long time before stiffly turning and returning to her bedroom.
In Yang Hao's bedroom, he lay on the bed, his brows furrowed.
Originally, he had a plan. At first, he genuinely intended to open a bar with Gu Ranran's help.
He would open the bar while continuing to coax Gu Ranran. After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Gu family, and he might be able to extract a continuous flow of money from her.
But he hadn't anticipated that Gu Ranran's sister-in-law would be so ruthless. Gu Ranran had essentially been kicked out of the Gu family!
It was a losing business, so the original plan had to change.
He had been thinking of coaxing Gu Ranran for a while longer and observing the Gu family's reaction.
But now—
Yang Hao recalled seeing Xiao Liyan at the Kalaya Club that day. He looked like someone not to be trifled with.
And according to Gu Ranran, he was to hand over the two hundred million to Xiao Liyan?
Yang Hao sneered at the thought.
Absolutely impossible.
He wasn't as foolish as Gu Ranran to hand over such a large sum of money just like that! Two hundred million. What if Xiao Liyan, blinded by greed, embezzled the money?!
Besides, he didn't want to keep supporting Gu Ranran.
Yang Hao quickly made up his mind.
He had to leave this place, taking his money with him.
The next day.
Gu Ranran stayed in the apartment all day. In the evening, Yang Hao returned.
Gu Ranran looked at him and felt a bit relieved.
"Brother Hao, we're meeting Brother Li Yan tomorrow. You should rest early. Brother Li Yan said we should go during the day to better assess the bar's layout and structure."
Yang Hao grunted in response and went straight into the bedroom.
Gu Ranran pursed her lips and sat on the sofa, looking out the window.
The living room was silent.
At two in the morning, the door to Yang Hao's bedroom creaked open.
He stealthily carried a suitcase and walked out.
As he passed the living room, his gaze fell on the silent silhouette on the sofa, and he almost thought he'd seen a ghost!
"Holy shit!" Yang Hao immediately turned on the light.
On the sofa, Gu Ranran's gaze was calm, as if she had never looked away, or as if she had been waiting for him all along.
"Ranran, what are you doing sitting here in the middle of the night?" Yang Hao said angrily, then immediately realized his tone was off and changed to a concerned one. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine," Gu Ranran said, looking at the suitcase Yang Hao had tossed aside. "Brother Hao, where are you going?"
Yang Hao suddenly felt guilty and forced a smile. "I'm not going anywhere. I was just bored in the middle of the night, packing things, thinking of throwing away the things I don't need downstairs."
Gu Ranran nodded. "Then Brother Hao, you should go back and rest. We still have to go to Yelan tomorrow morning."
Facing Gu Ranran's serious gaze, Yang Hao gritted his teeth and returned to his bedroom.
Forget it. There would be other opportunities to escape later. Even if he met Xiao Liyan tomorrow, he wouldn't necessarily have to hand over the money that day.
Yang Hao returned to his bedroom in a bad mood.
Gu Ranran watched the closed bedroom door and then walked back to the sofa and sat down.
She knew that the two hundred million was probably no longer in her account.
Gu Ranran sat in the living room until the first light of dawn.
It was the peak of summer. Looking at the time, it was only a little past five in the morning.
She had sacrificed too much for Yang Hao. Gu Ranran thought for a moment. She had originally planned to wait here until Yang Hao woke up.
But now, she changed her mind and turned back to her own bedroom.
A few seconds after the sound of Gu Ranran's bedroom door closing, the door to Yang Hao's bedroom quietly opened.
Yang Hao hadn't slept all night, fearing that his two hundred million would disappear.
What if Xiao Liyan insisted on the money tomorrow? How would he refuse in front of Gu Ranran?
After Yang Hao went out, he glanced at the suitcase in the corner.
The suitcase contained the luxury clothes and accessories he had recently bought and packed yesterday.
Yang Hao gritted his teeth. He hadn't managed to escape last night because of this suitcase.
Forget it. As long as the money was in his hands, what couldn't he buy again!
Yang Hao ignored the suitcase, grabbed his phone, touched the bank card in his pocket, and quietly went downstairs.
In the early morning, past five o'clock, Gu Ranran stood by the window, watching the car drive away from Tingqing Street and disappear completely at the end.
She pursed her lips and returned to bed to sleep.
Until her eight o'clock alarm rang, Gu Ranran got up, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and applied skincare products before knocking on Yang Hao's door.
Receiving no response, she pushed the door open and looked around, then at the suitcase in the corner.
Gu Ranran took out her phone and dialed the emergency number.
Early in the morning, the emergency call was quickly answered.
"Hello, this is the 110 alarm service. How can I help you?"
Gu Ranran's voice was indifferent. "My boyfriend is missing."
"How long has he been missing? How did he go missing?"
Gu Ranran continued, "I just woke up to call him and found he wasn't in his bedroom. I opened the door and found the room empty."
The female voice on the other end sounded displeased. "Miss, is your boyfriend an adult?"
"Yes."
"Then you can try contacting him first."
Gu Ranran pursed her lips. "He disappeared with my two hundred million savings, and there's a suitcase he left behind."